Loose-leaf binder



Nov. 20, .1951 A. CLARKE ET AL LOOSE-LEAF BINDER Filed Dec. 25, 1948 INVENTOR. flL/CK CLARKE H LLHND D. COTTRELL.

A 7'TORNE'Y- Patented Nov. 20.1951

LOOSE-LEAF BINDER Alick Clarke and Holland D. Cottrell, Detroit, Mich.

Application December 23, 1948, Serial No. 66,947

2 Claims.

This invention relates to loose leaf binders and involves two foldable cover members, means attached at one end to one of the cover members and the other end insertible through slots in sheets of paper and a slot in the other cover member, the said slots being of less width than the width of the portion of the retainers requiring the said portions to be folded to permit introduction into the slots in the sheets all as hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 shows the binder in the open position.

Fig. 2 is a section taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged plan view showing the retainer.

Fig. 4 is a plan view showing the retainer folded to permit introduction into the slot.

Fig. 5 is a similar view showing a sheet secured in position in the cover member.

The binding as shown in Fig. 2 consists of a sheet formed into cover members I and 2 foldable on the scored line 4. Thus the front cover member 2 is folded over the back cover member I to form the present binder.

The sheet retainers or tabs are indicated at 5 and 6 in Fig. 1. These tabs are cut from cover I and are folded to the position shown in Fig. 1 with the outer ends thereof respectively inserted. in the slits I and 3 in cover 2.

The tabs 5 and 6, cut from the cover member I, have a base integral with the cover I turnable on the scored line 3. The cover member 2 is turnable on the scored line 4 and adjacent the said line are slits I and 8. The free ends of the tabs 5 and 6 are substantially oval in form and the side edges thereof are foldable on the dotted lines 9 and it! to the position shown in Fig. 4 and thus provides a pointed end II. The folded parts are then unfolded to permit the outer tab ends to engage in the slits I and 8 after the manner shown in Fig. 5. The folded portions 9 and I and II are inserted through a slot I2 in the sheets of paper, unfolded, and inserted partly into the slits I and 8. By this arrangement the inserted sheet is held in position.

When the parts are in the position shown in Fig. the outer edges 6 and IQ of the two foldable tabs 5 and 6 prevent the sheets from becoming accidentally removed. In order to remove a sheet or sheets from the cover members, the two cover members are first opened into alignment and cover I is turned downwardly, as indicated in Fig. 2, in dotted lines thereby removing the outer edges of the tabs from the slits. The said tabs may then be folded as in- 2 dicated in Fig. 4 to permit a slotted sheet to be positioned thereon and the tabs may be then unfolded as shown in Fig. 5 to thereby retain the sheets in position between the covers.

In Fig. 1 there are shown slits I and 8 so that portions of front cover 2 normally form nonbending coplanar extensions of back cover I when said covers are folded together. So folded, the slits become slots within which the extreme outer ends or tips of the tabs 5 and 6 are projected. Upon reopening of the binder to the position shown in Fig. 2 the slots become slits. Now when the back cover I is tilted downwardly to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 2, then the outer ends of tabs 5 and 6 become automatically disengaged from slits l and 8. This is normally accomplished by a quick downward movement of said back cover, and said tab ends snap outwardly from said slits.

It will be noted that tabs 5 and 6 are formed with a neck portion of reduced width which is slightly less than the length of the sheet slots l2. Thus a plurality of sheets may be hinged upon this neck portion.

The binder, according to our invention, is simple and inexpensive in character and may be made in various sizes corresponding to the sizes of the sheets to be secured therebetween and the features and objects of the invention are attained by the structure herein described.

Having thus briefly described our invention, its utility and mode of operation, what we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A loose leaf binder comprising a centrally scored sheet foldable to provide front and back covers, a pair of loose leaf retaining spaced tabs cut from said back cover and having a neck portion integral with said back cover, said tabs having a fold line parallel spaced from said scoring a distance slightly less than the length of said tabs measured from said fold line, said front cover having elongated slits formed therein opposite said tabs immediately adjacent said scoring to retainingly receive the outer tips of said tabs whereby upon back bending of said back cover member from normal open position said tab tips will automatically snap outwardly from said slits.

2. A loose leaf binder comprising a centrally scored sheet foldable to provide front and back covers, a pair of loose leaf retaining spaced tabs cut from said back cover and having a neck portion integral with said back cover, said tabs having a fold line parallel spaced from said scoring a distance slightly less than the length of said tabs measured from said fold line, said front cover having elongated slits formed therein opposite said tabs immediately adjacent said scoring to retainingly receive the outer tips of said tabs whereby upon back bending of said back cover member from normal open position said tab tips will automatically snap outwardly from said slits, said tabs having foldable flanges projecting outwardly from each side edge thereof to facilitate when folded mounting of a loose leaf thereon and adapted when unfolded to retainingly bear upon said loose leaf.

ALICK CLARKE.

HOLLAND D.- COTTRELL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,133,069 Williamson Oct. 11, 1938 2,445,671 Johnson July 20, 1948 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 176,386 Germany Oct. 22, 1906 367,483 Great Britain 1932 540,847 Great Britain 1941 

